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10.3390/jcm10204646
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Article

The Prolonged Diagnostic Pathway of Young Adults (Aged 25–39) with Cancer in the United Kingdom: Results from the Young Adult Cancer Patient Journey Study

by
Victorien L. M. N. Soomers
1,*,
Emma Lidington
2,
Bhawna Sirohi
3,
Michael A. Gonzalez
4,
Anne-Sophie Darlington
5,
Winette T. A. van der Graaf
2,6,7 and
Olga Husson
6,8,*
1
Radboudumc, Department of Medical Oncology, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
2
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
3
Max Institute of Cancer Care, Max Healthcare, New Delhi 110024, India
4
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London SW7 2BX, UK
5
Department of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
6
Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7
Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
8
The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(20), 4646; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204646
Submission received: 3 September 2021 / Revised: 29 September 2021 / Accepted: 30 September 2021 / Published: 11 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with Cancer)
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Abstract

Purpose: Teenagers and young adults (TYAs; aged 13–24) experience prolonged intervals to cancer diagnosis. Insight into diagnostic intervals in young adults (YAs; aged 25–39) and subgroups at risk for long intervals is lacking. We investigated the diagnostic pathway of YA cancer patients, examined patient and tumor characteristics associated with its length, and compared the patient interval length of our sample with a TYA cohort. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey YAs diagnosed with cancer in the UK in the past five years completed a questionnaire describing their patient (time from first symptom to first doctor consultation) and healthcare interval (from first consultation until consultation with a cancer specialist), sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics. Associations between characteristics and interval length were examined and compared with previously published data in TYAs. Results: Among 341 YAs the patient interval lasted ≥2 weeks, ≥1 month, and ≥3 months in 60%, 42%, and 21%, respectively, compared to 48%, 27%, and 12% in the TYA group. The healthcare interval lasted ≥2 weeks, ≥1 month, and ≥3 months in 62%, 40%, and 17% of YA patients, respectively. YAs with melanoma or cervical cancer were most likely to experience long intervals, whereas YAs with breast cancer and leukemia were most likely to experience short intervals. Conclusions: Most YAs were not seen by a cancer specialist within 2 weeks of GP consultation. Interval lengths in YAs were associated with cancer diagnosis. Patient intervals were longer among YAs than among TYAs. Our study highlights long diagnostic pathways among YAs and calls for more awareness among healthcare professionals about malignancies in this age group.
Keywords: diagnostic pathway; patient interval; healthcare interval; time to diagnosis diagnostic pathway; patient interval; healthcare interval; time to diagnosis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Soomers, V.L.M.N.; Lidington, E.; Sirohi, B.; Gonzalez, M.A.; Darlington, A.-S.; van der Graaf, W.T.A.; Husson, O. The Prolonged Diagnostic Pathway of Young Adults (Aged 25–39) with Cancer in the United Kingdom: Results from the Young Adult Cancer Patient Journey Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 4646. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204646

AMA Style

Soomers VLMN, Lidington E, Sirohi B, Gonzalez MA, Darlington A-S, van der Graaf WTA, Husson O. The Prolonged Diagnostic Pathway of Young Adults (Aged 25–39) with Cancer in the United Kingdom: Results from the Young Adult Cancer Patient Journey Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021; 10(20):4646. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204646

Chicago/Turabian Style

Soomers, Victorien L. M. N., Emma Lidington, Bhawna Sirohi, Michael A. Gonzalez, Anne-Sophie Darlington, Winette T. A. van der Graaf, and Olga Husson. 2021. "The Prolonged Diagnostic Pathway of Young Adults (Aged 25–39) with Cancer in the United Kingdom: Results from the Young Adult Cancer Patient Journey Study" Journal of Clinical Medicine 10, no. 20: 4646. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204646

APA Style

Soomers, V. L. M. N., Lidington, E., Sirohi, B., Gonzalez, M. A., Darlington, A.-S., van der Graaf, W. T. A., & Husson, O. (2021). The Prolonged Diagnostic Pathway of Young Adults (Aged 25–39) with Cancer in the United Kingdom: Results from the Young Adult Cancer Patient Journey Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(20), 4646. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10204646

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